Love in a Different Light
by TessaStarDean
Summary: Stella has Frankie's baby, and six years later, she and Don learn about the different kinds of love. FlackStella. Short and uber fluffy.


"Mama?"

Stella turned to to see her little girl standing beside her in the kitchen, watching as she made dinner.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Is Uncle Don coming tonight?"

Stella couldn't help but smile. "Uncle Don _always_ comes, you know that." She reached out and ran her fingers through her daughter's long dark hair. "You really love him, don't you?"

Cara grinned. "He's one of my best friends!"

"He's one of mine, too, sweetie."

There was a knock on the door then, and Flack came in, using the key that Stella had given him a couple years ago.

"Anybody home?" he called.

"UNCLE DON!!" Cara squealed, bolting out of the kitchen and catapulting herself into his arms.

Dropping his suit jacket to the floor, Don caught her and lifted her up, hugging her to him tightly.

"How are my two favorite girls?" he asked, kissing her on the cheek.

Cara giggle, playing with his tie. "Good. I'm glad you came over."

Flack smiled. "I always come."

"I know. Do you want to color with me?"

"I would love to. But let me see if your mom needs any help first."

Stella smiled and shook her head. "I'm all set. Lindsay and Danny should be here soon anyway. Go color."

He walked over to her, setting down a bottle of wine that he had brought. "You sure?"

She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Go. I'm sure she has a lovely princess coloring book she wants to share with you."

Flack grinned. "I am a great colorer."

Stella laughed. "Don't I know it."

8888888888888888888888888888

Flack and Cara lay side-by-side on their stomachs in her bedroom, coloring books in front of them and crayons between them. Cara had brought out a princess coloring book, instructing Don to color Belle and the Beast on one side while she colored Cinderella on the other.

"Uncle Don?" she asked without looking up.

"Yeah, princess?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Is my daddy dead?"

Flack stopped coloring, and turned to stare at Cara. She just kept coloring, seemingly unphased by the question she had just asked.

"Where did you hear that?" he finally asked.

She shrugged. "I overheard Mommy and Uncle Mac talking one time."

He wasn't sure what Stella wanted her daughter to know about Frankie, but he couldn't just ignore the question either. Taking a deep breath, Don forced himself to stay calm, focusing again on the picture he was coloring.

"Yeah, sweetheart. He's dead."

She nodded, as though that was what she was expecting. "And he hurt my mommy?"

Flack frowned. "What did you overhear, Cara?"

The little girl shrugged again. "Not much. I wasn't trying to listen, Uncle Don. I promise."

He gave her a small smile. "I know you weren't, sweetie." Flack paused, unsure of what to tell her. "Why are you asking these questions?"

She started to color harder, avoiding his eyes, and he knew that she was nervous.

"I was just wondering...if I don't have a daddy..." Cara shrugged again. "Maybe you could be my daddy?"

Flack stopped, his chest constricting. Turning, he watched Cara as she continued to color, his mind frantically searching for something to say. He licked his painfully dry lips and tried to stop his hand from shaking, but her words echoed in his head and he found that he couldn't breathe.

"Cara..." he rasped.

She turned to look at him then, and her eyes were full of tears. Her bottom lip quivering, she stared up at him.

"Do you not want to be my daddy?"

The air came rushing back into his lungs. Dropping his crayon, he reached out for her, hugging her to him tightly as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Oh baby, of course I do. I love you with all of my heart. But...but it's not up to me."

She wiped at her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Flack struggled for a moment, not sure how to explain things. "Mommies and Daddies...they're supposed to love each other -"

Cara frowned. "Don't you love Mommy?"

He gave her a sad smile. "I do. I love your mommy with all of my heart."

"But I thought you loved _me_ with all of your heart."

Flack chuckled. "You can love more than one person with all your heart. It just depends on how strong your heart is."

"But if you love Mommy and she loves you..."

"There are different kinds of love. I'm not sure I can explain it."

Cara frowned again, tapping her chin with a crayon as she thought. "Is it like...you love Aunt Lindsay, but not the way Uncle Danny loves Aunt Lindsay?"

Flack beamed at her. "That's it exactly."

"And you love Uncle Danny, but not the way Aunt Lindsay loves him."

"Right. And Mommies and Daddies...they're supposed to love each other like Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Danny love each other."

"And you don't love Mommy that way?"

Flack swallowed hard. "I do," he said quietly. "But I think your mommy loves me like I love Aunt Lindsay."

Cara thought about that for a minute, and then shook her head firmly. "Nope. Mommy loves you the other way."

His eyes narrowed. "How do you know?"

She shrugged. "She looks at you funny." Hearing her own words, Cara giggled. "I mean, she looks at you like Aunt Lindsay looks at Uncle Danny. And she smiles whenever she sees you. And it's not a normal smile...it's the smile she gives me, too. And that means she loves you more than anything in the world...except me," she added.

"You really think so?" Flack asked, his heart pounding.

Cara nodded. "I know so."

8888888888888888888888888888888

Lindsay's eyes shimmered as she leaned closer to Stella. "I think that might have been the sweetest thing I've ever heard."

Stella nodded, her own eyes wet as Danny looked over at her.

"You're not really gonna just let that go, are you?" he whispered. "Ya gotta let him know, Stell."

She nodded, giving them both a smile. "I know."

Slowly, nervously, she took a few steps forward, moving into her daughter's bedroom. She walked around until she was facing them, and then she got down on the ground, laying on her stomach the way they were. Flack and Cara looked up, staring at her disbelief.

"Hi, Mommy."

Stella smiled. "Hey, baby. Can you go help your Aunt Lindsay finish dinner? I need to talk to your Uncle Don."

Cara's face grew troubled. "Did you hear what we said?"

"I did."

"How?"

Stella shrugged. "My super Mommy hearing."

Cara and Flack looked at each other.

"We forgot about that," he told her.

"Oops." She looked back at Stella. "Is Uncle Don in trouble?"

Stella shook her head. "No."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Cara nodded and kissed Flack on the cheek. Then she got up and padded across the room, taking Lindsay's hand and following her and Danny out into the kitchen. When they were gone, Flack took a deep breath, trying to make himself meet Stella's eyes. Finally, she reached out and raised his chin with her hand.

"Did you mean it? The things you said to Cara?"

"Yeah," he whispered. "I did."

"You really love me?"

"Yeah."

A tear slid down her cheek as she smiled at him. "And all this time I thought it was just me."

Before Don could respond, she leaned in and kissed him softly, sighing at the contact. He kissed her back, taking his time as his mind struggled to accept that this was actually happening. Bracing himself with his elbows, he leaned in closer, tilting his head for a better angle. Eventually, Stella pulled back, resting her forehead on his.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

"That way?"

She laughed. "Yes, Donnie. That way."

He smiled at her for a moment before his face became serious again, his eyes searching hers.

"Does that mean...can I be her dad then?"

Stella couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes. "Yes," she whispered.

Flack beamed at her. Unable to get any words out, he leaned in and kissed her again.

88888888888888888888888888888

When they came back out into the kitchen, the table was set, and everyone sat around it. Flack squeezed Stella's hand as he moved over to Cara, leaning over the back of her chair and whispering in her ear.

"You still want me to be your daddy?"

Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened as she stood up in her chair and turned to face him.

"Really?" she asked.

Flack laughed. "Really."

"YAY!" She leaped into his arms, holding onto him tightly as she rained kisses all over his face. "I told you Mommy loved you that way!!"

Flack hugged her back, sharing a smile with Stella. "And you were right, princess."

She pulled back to look him in the eyes. "So I can call you Daddy now?"

He swallowed around the lump in his throat. "You most certainly can."

He didn't think he'd ever seen her smile so brightly. Throwing her arms around his neck again, she put her mouth right next to his ear.

"I love you, Daddy. And don't worry, I got a strong heart like you."

Flack closed his eyes as one tear ran down his face. "I love you too, Cara. I love you too."


End file.
